For disadvantaged boys, gifted classes are a life-changer

Photo: Mike Siegel/Seattle Times

Placement in a "gifted" class can be a life-changer for high-ability boys from low-income and non-English-speaking families, according to a study in an an urban Florida district. They are much more likely to complete high school and enroll in college, compared to similar boys who miss the IQ cutoff. Disadvantaged girls benefit too, but not as much.

Gifted education has little effect on test scores, write David Card, Eric Chyn and Laura Giuliano in Education Next. However, it improves "success-oriented behaviors" such as taking more challenging classes and earning higher grades, their findings show. Disadvantaged students aim higher and work harder.

"Motivation, engagement, and aspirations may be just as critical" to school success as cognitive ability, they write.

Universal screening of all students, not just those recommended by teachers and parents, can identify students who need more challenge, they write.

Disadvantaged boys -- even those with high cognitive abilities -- "have very low rates of college entry," they write. Often their "low non-cognitive skills may mask their true academic potential." That is, they don't like elementary school, don't do the work and alienate teachers.

The study looked at whether third-graders said they enjoyed learning. Three out of four boys who didn't like learning but qualified for the gifted program ultimately go to college compared to one in 10 boys with similar IQs who miss the gifted cutoff. "College enrollment for girls in the low-enjoyment group jumps by around 50 percent, from a rate of 53 percent for those not in the program to 80 percent if they participate." Girls are more diligent than boys at all ages, so the effect is not as dramatic.

The "gifted" designation may not benefit advantaged students, who already are on track for success and get plenty of support from their parents. You can't judge a gifted program's quality by the fact that high-scoring students continue to get high scores, writes Matthew Yglesias. In New York City, "the level of fighting over who gets into this program and whether it’s unfair is wildly out of proportion to the scrutiny of its actual educational efficacy."